November 20, 1970
Page 38319
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I support enthusiastically the Javits amendment, No. 1068, to the Labor-HEW appropritions bill.
This amendment, which I have cosponsored, is necessary if we are to renew our commitment to improving opportunities for all Americans. Programs like Headstart and manpower training which have proved successful should be expanded, not cut back. Even the increased funding which this amendment would provide is inadequate to fill present needs.
The administration requested $339 million for Headstart. But it is clear that to keep the program running at even its present level, a minimum of $398 million will be needed.
The last segment of society to fall victim to the slash of the budget cutter should be our children. Headstart is a program that has given renewed hope to hundreds of thousands of youngsters all across America.
In my own State of Maine, there are presently 15 Headstart programs helping over 1,000 children. Now is not the time to deny them the benefits of preschool development.
Instead of dropping children from the program, we should be adding children. Instead of cutting corners here, we should be building Headstart into the kind of constructive national program it has shown itself capable of being.
If the appropriations which passed the House of Representatives are not increased, 26,000 children who are presently enrolled in Headstart will have to be dropped. That would be a tragedy that we simply cannot afford.
There are some 6 million disadvantaged children under 6 years old in America. Yet Headstart enrolls only one-quarter of a million. We are helping less than one in 20 of the children who most need our help.
There can be no excuse for our not doing a better job in this area. We have a proven, workable program, and we have millions of children who can benefit from that program. We should bring the children and the program together.
Some say this issue has become embroiled in politics. There are some things that must be more important than politics. The lives of our children must be more important than politics.